Umbrella



Sept. 16,- 1969 Filed Feb. 9. 1968 R. BROOKS ET AL UMBRELLA 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 FIG I.

INVENTOR ROBERT BROOKS lf/M/l/ffl WA/(AMYISWI-b NOEU/US/I/ lflm ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 16, 1969 R. BROOKS ET AL UMBRELLA 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1968 INVENTOR .K M 0M R O A 0 5% .n BWK A Rw Rmm United States Patent 3,467,115 UMBRELLA Robert Brooks, L. P. Henryson & Co. Inc., 312 th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10001; Kinjiro Wakabayashi, Wakabayashi & Co., Ltd., 9 4-chome Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; and Nobutoshi Kida, 27 l-chome, Minami Nonin-machi, Higashi-ku, Osakashi, Japan Filed Feb. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 704,336 Int. Cl. A45b 19/08 US. Cl. 135-25 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An umbrella construction having a shaft with a cover fixed at the top thereof and with a handle at the bottom thereof. Main ribs and links are provided for extending and collapsing the cover, and a slidable runner is mounted on the shaft for actuating the ribs and links through interposed auxiliary links.

This invention relates generally to umbrellas and more particularly to a golfers umbrella construction.

A principal object of the instant invention is to provide an umbrella construction that is adapted to be carried inside the golfers bag and is adapted to be converted so that it can be carried on the outside of the golfers bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide an umbrella construction that is convertible and compact and economical to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an umbrella construction embodying the invention, in closed position, with a cover thereon, and showing the handle in extended position in dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the umbrella construction with the handle extended, shown preparatory to opening by the user.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the rib actuating runner.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the umbrellas construction partly opened.

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the u mbrellas construction fully opened.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawings, an umbrella construction embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and designated generally at 10. A fabric removable cover 12 envelopes the body of the umbrella construction, the handle 14 being exposed.

The umbrella construction comprises a sectional metal rod or shaft 15 including a lower section 16 and an upper section 18 as viewed in FIG. 4. The elongated wooden handle 14 is fastened to the bottom end of the lower section 16. The lower section is telescopically arranged on the upper section 18 in the usual manner. A hollow cylindrical socket member or cap 20 finishes olf and receives the top end of the upper section 18 of the rod. A cover 22 is carried at the top of the upper section 18.

An actuating runner 24 is slidably mounted on the rod or shaft for moving the cover from a closed position as shown in FIG. 1 to an open position as shown in FIG. 5 by means of the improved arrangement of main ribs 26. It will be seen from FIGS. 3 and 5 that the runner 24, when the umbrella is closed, is in lower position on the rod or shaft 15 as shown in FIG. 3, while when the umbrella is open, as shown in FIG. 5,

the runner has been moved upwardly on the rod or shaft 15.

The radiating ribs 26 are secured to the cloth cover 22 by stitches 30 at the inner ends of the main ribs and by stitches 32 at the outer ends thereof.

The actuating runner 24 comprises a cylindrical tubular body 34 having a plurality of segmental elements 36 disposed in equally spaced relationship about the periphery of the body 34 midway the ends of the body. Each element 36 has a transverse hole. A plurality of spaced auxiliary links 40 connect the runner 24 with the main ribs 26, each auxiliary link having an eye portion 42 at one end pivotally connected to a segment element 36 by a wire 44 and having an eye portion 46 at its other end pivotally connected by a wire 47 to a perforated ea-r 48 on the adjacent main rib 26 inwardly from its inner end.

A slotted annular ferrule 50 is fixed on the top end of the upper section 18 of the rod or shaft 15 and secured in the spaced slots thereof is a plurality of round links 52 by means of a wire 54 extending through eyelets 56 formed on the adjacent ends of the links and through an annular notch formed in the ferrule 50. The other ends of the links 52 are pivotally connected to perforated ears 58 formed on the auxiliary links 40. Other links 60 are pivotally connected at one end to eyelets 62 formed on the inner ends of the main ribs 26 by means of wires 64 and the links 60 at the other end are similarly pivotally connected to the links 52 midway the ends thereof, as indicated at 66. The links 52 and 60 are not attached to the cover 22.

A spring pressed detent 68 is movably mounted on the rod or shaft 15 for holding the sliding runner 24 in its uppermost position when the cover 22 is in fully open position as shown in FIG. 5. A spring pressed ball detent 70 is mounted on the upper section 18 of the rod or shaft 15 adjacent its bottom end adapted to cooperate with a hole 72 in the lower section 16 to hold the sections against accidental relative movement.

In use, to open the umbrella the lower section 18 is pulled outwardly of the inner section 16 by means of the handle 14 so as to extend said lower section. With the lower section extended, the actuating runner 24 is pushed upwardly along the shaft 15 whereupon the auxiliary links 40 push against the main ribs 26 spreading out the fabric cover 22 and continued upward pushing or sliding of the runner extends the auxiliary links 40 horizontally and :at the same time extends the links 52 and 60 as will be seen in FIG. 5. When the runner 24 rides above the detent 68, said detent automatically moves outwardly to the position shown in FIG. 5 holding the runner and associated parts in moved position, when pressure is removed therefrom.

In order to close the umbrella, the runner 24 is manually pulled downward against the detent 68 moving the detent inwardly and continued downward pull on the runner collapses the auxiliary links 52 and 60 to collapsed condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

When the umbrella closes, the material of the cover 22 drops down into the top opening of the frame structure and the links 52 and 60 come down and close over the shaft 15. In other words, the umbrella length becomes the length of the ribs 26 when the umbrella is folded. The material of the cover 22 is not attached to the links 52 and 60 at the top as with the standard umbrella.

In order to make the umbrella still shorter and within the length of the ribs 26, the handle section 16 telescopes upwardly into the cover material. Thus you get a wide umbrella which can be folded to a very short length. The protective cover 12 may be readily slid over the closed umbrella.

When the umbrella is collapsed with its cover 12 thereon, it can readily be inserted inside of a golf bag and transported during the game of golf. However, the lower section 16 of the shaft 15 may be extended and when so extended the umbrella may be mounted on the outside of the golf bag, with the cap 20 inserted in the strap socket provided on all golf bags, the handle being secured by a. strap at the top of the bag provided for this purpose.

What is claimed is:

1. An umbrella construction comprising a collapsible shaft; a frame carried upon the shaft; a ferrule fixed at the top of the shaft; a, fabric cover extended over the frame and fixed to the ferrule; a runner slidable on the shaft; main ribs secured along the inside of the fabric from the periphery thereof radially inward to a point substantially short of the center of the cover; and linkage means between the runner and the intermediate ends of the ribs constituting an extension of the ribs for forcing the cover to the open position and for closing the cover upon the shaft when collapsed; auxiliary links pivotally connected at one end to said ferrule and at the other end to said linkage means intermediate the ends thereof; other auxiliary links pivotally connected at one 4 end to said first-named auxiliary links, intermediate the ends thereof, and at the other end to the inner ends of said ribs, whereby movement of the runner is imparted to the main ribs, linkage means and auxiliary links, for extending the cover and for collapsing the cover; the shaft being sectional; and a detent member movably mounted on one section of the shaft in the path of movement of the runner whereby the runner is releasably held in uppermost position for holding the cover in open extended position, a spring-pressed ball detent movably mounted in one section of the shaft, said other section of the shaft having a hole therein coacting with said ball detent to releasably hold the sections against relative movement; and a handle on the bottom end of said other section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,836,322 12/ 1931 Haaker. 1,839,309 1/1932 Gundel 135-26 X 2,076,525 4/1937 Bouma 135-25 2,221,288 11/1940 Okun 135--25 PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner 

